Where we’d like to go on holiday isn’t necessarily where we end up

Thursday, June 12th, 2014

Dreaming of an idyllic Hawaiian beach holiday is one thing, but getting there is something else. The latest findings from Roy Morgan Research indicate that Australians’ holiday destination preferences don’t always determine where they end up. Well, except when that destination is Melbourne. The Victorian capital is not only the destination most visited by holidaying Aussies, but also tops the list of places we’d most like to take a holiday in – domestic or international.

When asked where they’d like to take a holiday in the next two years, 21.5% of Australians 14+ (or 4,154,000 people) nominated Melbourne, ahead of the Gold Coast (16.2% or 3,116,000 people), the UK (14.6%), the US (14.4%) and New Zealand (12.6%).

Top 10 destinations Australians would like to visit in the next 2 years

Source:Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), May 2013 – April 2014 (n=17,391). Places respondents would like to travel for at least one night (nett trip) in the next two years. Red bars: overseas destinations

But in the 12 months to April 2014, Melbourne attracted more visitors (1,899,000 people or 9.8% of the population) than any other holiday destination, surpassing Sydney (1,486,000 people or 7.7%), the Gold Coast (6.1%), Sunshine Coast (5.2%) and the north coast of NSW (Forster, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Taree, Port Stephens etc; 5.2%).

Top 10 destinations Australians visited on holiday in the last 12 months

Source:Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), May 2013 – April 2014 (n=17,391). Places respondents have stayed for at least one night on their last trip in the last 12 months (nett trip).

Although overseas destinations accounted for three of the Top Five places Australians would most like to holiday, the reality paints a different picture. Domestic destinations comprise eight of the 10 places most visited by holidaying Aussies in the 12 months to April 2013, with New Zealand and the UK scraping in at ninth and tenth respectively. Still, there’s no harm in dreaming of distant shores…

“Marvellous Melbourne does it again! Not only has Australia’s cultural, sporting and shopping capital topped the list of places Australians would like to visit for a holiday of at least one night, it’s also our most visited holiday destination. Australians simply can’t get enough of Melbourne, and would prefer to holiday there than its perennial rival Sydney or any overseas destination.

“However, the Harbour City ranks second in terms of visitation, despite coming in at sixth in terms of preference. But this is not unusual: preferred destinations do not always align with those visited. While overseas rates highly in terms of preference, the relative ease and affordability of domestic travel has a huge influence on where we actually take our holidays.

“For non-Melburnian destination marketers seeking to boost their visitor numbers, Roy Morgan’s profiling tool Helix Personas can help to identify holidaymakers who might be tempted to visit their region. For example, nearly a quarter ofNew School Cool individuals would like to take a holiday in Sydney in the next two years. These young, high-earning singles appreciate the finer things in life, including travelling in style – their Sydney jaunt would be no budget backpacker affair.

“Meanwhile, 20% of Country Conservatives would like a Gold Coast holiday. Predominantly based in rural areas, these hard-working, blue collar Aussies don’t want anything fancy or high-faluting, and are more likely to choose a destination for its sun, surf and sand than for its cultural credentials.”

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Roy Morgan Research

Roy Morgan Research is Australia's best known and longest established market research and public opinion survey company. Roy Morgan Single Source is thorough, accurate, and provides comprehensive, directly applicable information about current and future customers. It is unique in that it directs all the questions to each individual from a base survey sample of around 55,000 interviews in Australia and 15,000 interviews in New Zealand annually - the largest Single Source databases in the world. The questions asked relate to lifestyle and attitudes, media consumption habits (including TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, cinema, catalogues, pay TV and the Internet), brand and product usage, purchase intentions, retail visitations, service provider preferences, financial information and recreation and leisure activities. This lead product is supported by a nationally networked, consultancy-orientated market research capability.Samantha Wilson P: (03) 9224 5268W:www.roymorgan.com